CKD...any advice?

[HorseyTee]

Simba has stage 3 kidney disease.
I know there are various renal foods, and he's been prescribed medication for the phosphorus.
But any advice at all will be appreciated.

 

[Annette4]

Don't buy too renal food I'm advance...I ended up donating £100 of food to a local charity after Jack started refusing it and later passed.

I ended up just feeding what he would eat once he refused the renal food (he was never in his life a fussy dog). We went from renal food, to cat food, to tuna to cocktail sausages and scotch eggs then to tripe before he told me he was done.

 

[Welshy]

Pretty much echoing the above. Another agreeing not to buy it in bulk. If they eat it alongside nausea it can put them off it that product and then you've wasted a loads.

I do think the renal diets definitely have their place though so great if you can get them to eat it for as long as possible it's a good thing.

My girl went in a similar pattern though. Would eat one brand, then go off that onto the next renal brand until we exhausted all of the renal brands and just started giving her what she wanted which also stopped and started. In the end she would only eat humam packs of chicken/turkey/ham etc from my hand and I think she was only doing that to please me.

Don't underestimate how much they will drink and therefore need to go outside to wee.

Big hugs for you both as its pretty miserable all round xx

 

[TheresaW]

Ellie has early signs of kidney disease. We’ve been feeding her this for about 6 months now. It does come in smaller bags, as well as tins of meat.

It just happens it was delivered today. Please excuse the dirty floor!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would certainly only buy small packs of food. The meds should help Simba to feel better. Other than following vet's instructions, all you can do is stay alert to how he feels and, as I am sure you will, follow the 'better a week too soon than a day too late' advice, when they get to refusing food consistently, they are telling you they have had enough, IMHO.

 

[HorseyTee]

Thanks.

Feeling very upset tonight.

Has anybody got a food they can recommend...I know Royal Canin do a renal and Animonda too.

He has a check up again next week, and I need to get a urine sample. He has been prescribed some appetite stimulant as he's hardly eating.
I'm hoping I can get him eating again, as he doesn't have weight left to lose.
Depending on our progress next week, I will obviously be facing a very hard decision, because if there's no improvement then I can't let him carry on like this, but I want to at least try to get him stable and happy before giving up on him.

He isn't anaemic and his bloods were otherwise OK.

 

[DabDab]

I have nothing helpful to say because have no experience of CKD, but really sorry that Simba is struggling and hope he picks up x

 

[HorseyTee]

I have nothing helpful to say because have no experience of CKD, but really sorry that Simba is struggling and hope he picks up x

Thank you.
Honestly he's just not himself, since you met him he's gone so quiet and sad. It's really hurtful to see.
I'm hoping I can help him feel better over the next week else I don't think I can carry on, it just wouldn't be kind.

I've had him since he was born, I can't imagine not having him here, it's just awful ?

 

[Kunoichi73]

Really sorry to hear that Simba isn't well.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I have a friend whose Golden Retriever has the RC renal diet and has been on it, under vet supervision for about 3 yrs. She seems to do well on it.

 

[HorseyTee]

I have a friend whose Golden Retriever has the RC renal diet and has been on it, under vet supervision for about 3 yrs. She seems to do well on it.

Ye I think I'll nip to pets at home tomorrow and see if they've got some in to try.
If I can try and stabilise his kidneys he may feel a little better for a while, but I won't know until I try.

 

[HashRouge]

I'm sorry to hear this HT

My experience is only with kidney disease in cats, but I think a lot of the symptoms are similar so just remember that he is likely to get thirstier than usual so make sure there are plenty of places for him to drink in the rooms he is allowed in. Our cat has a water fountain now, which he seems to prefer to his bowl, and he has also taken to getting in the bath and wailing until someone puts the plug in and turns on the cold water tap for him to splash about and have a drink. Now I just do it on reflex! We are about 18 months on from diagnosis and have managed to get him stabilised.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

My sister's little collie bitch, sadly long gone, had kidney disease. She got to the point where the vet said just feed her what she will eat. Allowed were sponge fingers, the sort you make trifles with, chicken and eggs. Can't remember what else. I had to look after her for 3 weeks while they were in USA. It was a nightmare. I used to cook tiny pieces for chicken for her which she would eat while still warm but not always. My sister would have had her put down long before she died but her husband is one of these head in the sand types. She finally died after coming in from the garden and having a fit, died in my sister's arms.
All the best with Simba, hope you can get him stabilised.

 

[HorseyTee]

Thanks.

I've joined a group on fb for canine ckd and people have given some good advise, so I'm going to do what I can to see if I can help him. It's the least I can do.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Focus on easily digested protein, that the kidneys do not have to work at processing. Fish, chicken and turkey are all good sources. Raid the supermarket and see if there is any Christmas stock being sold off and get it in the freezer. Bulk the food out with boiled rice if you need to. Fingers crossed for Simba, hope he picks up.

 

[HorseyTee]

He's been on his phosphorus binder since yesterday morning.
Yesterday evening I was boiling him some chicken breast, and he ate a few raw pieces of chicken happily, and hasn't eaten anything since again. He has refused the boiled chicken lol.

The advice of people having gone/going through this with theirs, is to let them eat whatever they want just to get them eating again, then start getting them onto renal friendly food.
I've never dealt with so much meat in the 5 years since I've been vegan lol, I ordered KFC, got him a burger from McDonald's, got him pork mince, eggs, chicken, tripe!
He's refused basically all of it.

I've got a very expensive tin of I think it's Applaws food to try.
He was interested in the kids spaghetti last night and had a slight lick before refusing.
I think we may be dealing with nausea making him not want to eat, so I'm hoping once the medication comes from the vets it may help.
And I'll take in a urine sample when I go to collect his medication.

This week will be important as I'm throwing everything at it to try and help him feel better, and if I can just get him eating and get his kidney levels stable, he may be OK for a little while.
But if not, then I won't push him much further.

 

[HashRouge]

Would tuna be appealing to a dog? It's the one thing our cat is guaranteed to go nuts for, and gets him eating every time if he's on hunger strike. Appreciate that's a cat, not a dog, but it does have quite a strong smell and I wonder if that helps tempt them?

 

[HorseyTee]

He does normally enjoy the occasional pilchards in tomato sauce, so I could grab a tin of that and some tuna as well.
I'll try anything.

 

[Squeak]

My mums dog has had CKD for a couple of years. Mum has worked incredibly hard at trying to keep the renal food appetising, I think she often puts a tiny bit of something that is less allowed like a stock on the food to make it appealing and also bulks it out with vegetables to make it a bit more interesting.

The dog is doing brilliantly on it and her kidneys are doing a lot better so there is hope. We were also devastated when we got the diagnosis and expected the worst. I hope you manage to entice Simba to start eating again.

 

[HorseyTee]

My mums dog has had CKD for a couple of years. Mum has worked incredibly hard at trying to keep the renal food appetising, I think she often puts a tiny bit of something that is less allowed like a stock on the food to make it appealing and also bulks it out with vegetables to make it a bit more interesting.

The dog is doing brilliantly on it and her kidneys are doing a lot better so there is hope. We were also devastated when we got the diagnosis and expected the worst. I hope you manage to entice Simba to start eating again.

Thank you.
I'm glad the dog is doing well...this is why I don't want to just give up, I need to at least try.
I am aware he is nearly 14 and has a bit of heart trouble, and his kidney disease is stage 3, so I know we are unlikely to have a lot of time, but if I can give him a few more months being happy then I want to try.

I just have to get him eating, that's the main thing.
He's interested and sniffs but then moves away. He's alert, he's going outside, having a wee, he's drinking...he's just not eating.

 

[AmyMay]

The vet’s should be able to give him an anti-nausea jab which works very quickly.

 

[Squeak]

Thank you.
I'm glad the dog is doing well...this is why I don't want to just give up, I need to at least try.
I am aware he is nearly 14 and has a bit of heart trouble, and his kidney disease is stage 3, so I know we are unlikely to have a lot of time, but if I can give him a few more months being happy then I want to try.

I just have to get him eating, that's the main thing.
He's interested and sniffs but then moves away. He's alert, he's going outside, having a wee, he's drinking...he's just not eating.

My Mums dog is 15 and was also diagnosed with stage 3 when it was initially diagnosed a couple of years ago so def don't give up yet, there really is hope.

 

[HorseyTee]

Ye it's cerenia I think for the nausea, I'll ask if the stimulant doesn't help.

My dad's just came and Simba is very alert, being excited...this is why it's hard, he's still there, he's still having moments of being happy and wagging his tail and being interested.
If I can just get him eating again and get weight back on, then we should be OK for a little while.

Before this, he was literally bounding around like an idiot, charging up to other dogs on walks, enjoying life as usual.

 

[HorseyTee]

Has anybody tried mirtazipine for appetite? Just wondering how long it takes to kick in.
Simba has his first dose at 10.30am today.
I'm going to grab a few bits from the shop tomorrow to tempt him, and will boil him some chicken later and hopefully he'll eat some.
I'm so nervous because this is my last attempt to help him and I'm scared it won't work in which case I won't make him carry on.
Trying hard not to keep shoving food in his face and keeping him calm and quiet.
It's hard because my dad came the other day and he was really excited, and just yesterday he stood looking out the window and wagging his tail at people going past.

 

[Highmileagecob]

If he is still drinking, offer him the cooking stock from the chicken - at least it's better than nothing.